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NEWS ‘Cheer’ Coach Monica Aldama, Navarro College Sued by Student for Allegedly Covering Up Sexual Assault

 

Navarro College and its head cheerleading coach, Monica Aldama, have been named in a lawsuit for allegedly concealing a sexual assault, Us Weekly can confirm.

Navarro student — and a one-time member of Aldama’s squad — Madi Lane claimed in a court filing obtained by Us on Thursday, April 27, that she was sexually assaulted by a teammate during her first semester at the Texas college in 2021.

Lane further alleged that she told Aldama, 51, about the encounter but was urged by the coach to “not make this a big deal.” While Lane ultimately quit the cheer team, she claimed that the Dancing With the Stars alum offered to help her find another team if she kept “quiet” about the alleged misconduct. 

According to the court documents, Lane reported her assault to the campus police. She was allegedly told that “this type of thing happens all the time” and “nothing will happen” in regards to her aggressor potentially facing consequences.

Neither Navarro nor Aldama, who has worked for the educational institution for nearly 30 years, have publicly addressed the legal battle. The Full Out author, for her part, has deactivated her Instagram profile

Navarro’s cheer team was previously at the center of a scandal when former student Jerry Harris was arrested on charges of production of child pornography after an FBI investigation. Harris, now 23, was also accused of soliciting sex from minors while at cheerleading competitions.

The Illinois native initially pleaded not guilty to seven felony charges, including four counts of sexual exploitation of children, one count of enticement, one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of travel with the intent to engage in an illicit sexual contact with a minor. Harris later changed his plea on two of the counts in February 2022 ahead of his sentencing hearing. The Netflix personality was sentenced in July 2022 to 12 years in prison.

To my victims, I am sorry for all the trauma my abuse has caused you. I am ashamed as I know that I took advantage of your youth and weakness,” Harris said at the time. “I was wrong and selfish. I caused you harm and I do not blame anyone. I regret my decisions and I am deeply sorry.”

Amid the scandal, Harris did not appear on season 2 of Cheer, which dropped on Netflix in January 2022. However, Aldama and his former teammates did mention the controversy in the docuseries. 

Taylor Swift Sings About ‘Falling Back in Love’ on New Collab With The National After Joe Alwyn Split

 

The perfect partnership. Taylor Swift teamed up with The National on their latest album — and fans are already dissecting the heartbreaking duet following her split from Joe Alwyn.

The “Lavender Haze” singer, 33, sings with Matt Berninger on “The Alcott,” which dropped on Friday, April 28, as part of the band’s ninth record, First Two Pages of Frankenstein. The ballad paints a picture of two former lovers reflecting on the end of a relationship in a similar fashion to Swift’s “Coney Island.” (Berninger, 52, also appears on the 2020 Evermore track.)

“I get myself twisted in threads to meet you at The Alcott / I’d go to the corner in the back where you’d always be / And there you are, sittin’ as usual with your golden notebook / Writing something about someone who used to be me,” he begins in the new song

Swift joins in on the chorus: “And the last thing you wanted is the first thing I do / I tell you my problems, you tell me the truth / It’s the last thing you wanted, it’s the first thing I do / I tell you that I think I’m falling back in love with you.”

When the refrain repeats elsewhere in the tune, Swift’s voice echoes after each line. “Tell me, which side are you on, dear? / Give me some tips to forget you,” she sings. “Have I become one of your problems? / Could it be easy this once?”

As the bridge kicks in, the duo take turns crooning: “I’ll ruin it all over (Why don’t you rain on my parade?) / I’ll ruin it over for you (Shred my evenin’ gown) / I’ll ruin it all over (Read my sentence out loud) / And over like I always do (‘Cause I love this curse on our house).”

As the bridge kicks in, the duo take turns crooning: “I’ll ruin it all over (Why don’t you rain on my parade?) / I’ll ruin it over for you (Shred my evenin’ gown) / I’ll ruin it all over (Read my sentence out loud) / And over like I always do (‘Cause I love this curse on our house).”

Matt Berninger Danny Payne/Shutterstock

Swift has been a longtime fan of the rock band, which consists of Berninger and brothers Aaron Dessner and Bryce Dessner, as well as brothers Scott Devendorf and Bryan Devendorf. Aaron, 47, previously collaborated with the Pennsylvania native on her albums Folklore, Evermore and Midnights, and recently made a surprise appearance to perform with Swift on her Eras Tour in Florida.

“The Alcott” is one of the first bits of new music fans have heard from Swift following her split from Alwyn, 32. Us Weekly confirmed earlier this month that the couple called it quits after six years together, with a source exclusively revealing that “fame factored into” the breakup.